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Bob Mionske is a former national champion cyclist and vegetarian. He is currently a lawyer practicing in Portland, OR. His website is www.bicyclelaw.com.

What is your cycling background?

I started racing in college. I was on the ski team at the university of wisconsin and started riding for skiing fitness and found out I was much better at cycling, so I started racing as a cat. 4 in 1984. I was invited to the Olympic training center in Colorado Springs along with around 100 others. We lived 3 to a room in old air force dorms and you had one sheet and one wool blanket.

In 1988 I made the three man team for the Seoul Olympics at the Olympic trials in Spokane, WA. I made the winning break and finished 4th. I won the 1990 National road championships in Albany, NY and competed in Barcelona in 1992 (road teammates with Lance Armstrong)

When did you become vegetarian?

I stopped eating beef at 17, chicken in my 20's and fish in my 30's.

Why?

I didn't know about PETA then, but this group's goal is the same as mine...to end cruelty towards other living creatures--especially when it is unhealthy, nutritionally unnecessary, incredibly barbaric and destructive to our environment. People tend to view vegetarianism or abstention from eating animals, as requiring discipline, but I have NEVER felt the desire to return to eating animals. My 8 year old daughter is a vegetarian --her choice totally. She also avoids high fructose sugar. Many of her friends and classmates are already struggling with obesity, which is shocking to me.

What was it like competing internationally as a vegetarian?

Getting proper fuel for long hard stage races was not difficult and in those days, all the teams ate together and consumed whatever was served. It was tough to get healthy quality fuel, but then again, it was the same for every one. There was a lot of complaining and the U.S. Team started bringing over granolas and protein powders to supplement the race meals, so that helped.

You're starting to experiment with raw foods. How did you get into that?

It is a natural progression. First you consider what you are eating and then you decide to go for healthy food. Then you skip the meat dishes, then you eschew the chicken and lastly the goes the fish. Now you're eating vegetables (and in my case eggs and cheese) and you hear that raw food is not cooked and processed and adulterated by preservatives and additives, so you give it a try and love it.

Why do think more athletes aren't vegan or vegetarian?

The same reason more of society isn't. No exposure to the wonderful alternatives available. Humans are imitative animals. Unless you are raised in a home that are free thinking and open to new ideas (although vegan diet is not new humans), you will just order a Big Mac like dad. Additionally, there is a common belief that an athlete who trains his/her body needs to have animal protein to maintain or improve strength. I never believed this, and I am more muscular on a vegetarian diet than many meat eating cyclists ---and faster too! By the way, have you noticed how muscular plant eating horses are?